The event provided a means of uniting Red Bulls elite player development initiatives, and an opportunity for Academy staff to observe some of the top players from across the region.

Due to the high competitive spirt from all squads, this year’s tight scorelines of (7-4, 6-5 and 9-7) demonstrated the rapid growth of all the programs involved.

“I have the perspective of watching this event for three consecutive seasons and the progress is so pronounced,” said Evan Dabby, of NJ Youth Soccer. “It is exciting for NJ Youth Soccer to get to work with these young talents and we are grateful for our partnership with the Red Bulls that leverages their youth developmental expertise.”

John Birchall - of Red Bulls Training Programs - also saw great value for his Westchester-based players. “It was a fantastic opportunity for the WYSL-Red Bulls Select 2017 team to experience the next level of competition, and to realize what it takes to potentially move into our academy system. Our players left engaged to continue working on their game, and inspired to take the next step up our player development pyramid.

As a direct result of the event, multiple players from all squads were identified as potential Red Bulls Academy candidates, and more players than ever before graduated from the NJYS platforms.

Open tryouts for NJ Youth Soccer’s 2017 Olympic Development Program (ODP) will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30 (Wall, N.J.) and August 12-13 (Bordentown, N.J.) for players born in years 2001 through 2005. Specific times for each age group are posted on the NJ Youth Soccer website (Girls|Boys). To register for ODP Tryouts, click here: http://www.njyslive.com/ODP.